John Pestana takes over from retiring Chris Clune at Exactrail

Model railroad manufacturer Exactrail has announced a change at the top. Software entrepreneur John Pestana is taking charge of the company’s day-to-day operations as Exactrail’s president and chief executive officer. Previous company head Chris Clune is retiring and “will continue to be a continued source of inspiration and direction for Exactrail’s precision product development team,” […]

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Lionel O gauge Vision Line GE Hybrid diesel

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EcoBoy, Sr. O gauge vision line GE Hybrid ES44AC by Lionel In the February 2011 issue, we reviewed Lionel’s O gauge GenSet locomotive – a fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly switcher that used multiple smaller diesel engines that kicked in as warranted. For switching or light roadwork, this is a clever and innovative approach to saving […]

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Atlas Model Railroad Co. NRE Genset diesel switcher

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Its basic lines may look like just another switcher, but this new Atlas HO scale model is of a 21st century locomotive with a unique, environmentally friendly design. The National Railway Equipment 3GS21B Genset switcher is in service on today’s railroads. The direct-current Atlas Genset has an eight-pin plug for a Digital Command Control (DCC) […]

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Bowser HO scale Baldwin VO1000 diesel locomotive

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Bowser HO scale Baldwin VO1000 diesel locomotive An upgraded HO replica of Baldwin’s VO1000, one of the manufacturer’s first diesel switchers, is available from Bowser. The model is based on Stewart Models tooling, and you’ll find a review of that model in the April 2001 Model Railroader. The HO scale version is available as a […]

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Märklin Trains exits bankruptcy

German model railroad manufacturer Märklin is putting insolvency behind it and moving forward with a restructuring plan approved by creditors in December. Under the plan, Märklin will pay 33 million euros ($43.6 million) to creditors immediately. According to German newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt, the secured creditors — banks including Kreissparkasse Göppingen, BW-Bank and Goldman Sachs — […]

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Air hoses on locomotives

Q This is a follow-up question to one in the July 2010 issue about the three air hoses on locomotives (page 58). I saw engines in the ’70s and earlier with four hoses and some with only two. Why the difference?— Dan Mirabelli, Neenah, Wis. A The two-line m.u. setup was generally for 14EL-equipped units. […]

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Rebuilding RDCs for a new generation

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Sign over car shop. Employee notifications are posted in English and French. Bob Johnston This unusual RDC4 originally built for Canadian Pacific will be refurbished for VIA’s Sudbury-White River, Ont., train. Bob Johnston A welder works on an RDC. Bob Johnston The new RDC engineer’s cab includes a computer display to monitor train performance. Bob […]

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News & Products for December 23, 2010

American Model Builders Inc. HO scale Missouri Pacific drover caboose kits

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP39-2 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (“Kodachrome” scheme); Boston & Maine (Guilford scheme); CSX; and Delaware & Hudson. Two road numbers each; also available undecorated. Five-pole skew-wound armature motor with flywheels, separately applied details, and Accumate magnetic knuckle couplers. $102.95 (undecorated, $97.95). May 2011. Ready-to-run. […]

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